Quintay

Quintay is a small fishing cove south of Valparaiso, and on its shore stands the Ballenera: a whaling station opened in 1943 that processed something in the order of tens of thousands of whales - blue, fin, sei and sperm - before it closed in 1967 as the stocks collapsed and the industry became unviable. The concrete slipway, the flensing platform and the tanks are still there, partly restored, with a museum run in cooperation with a university that presents the operation and what it did rather than sentimentalising it. Fishing boats work from the cove and the restaurants above sell what they land.

What you actually see

• A whaling station of 1943 - closed in 1967 as stocks collapsed.
• Slipway, flensing deck and tanks - the industrial plant still standing.
• A museum that does not soften it - the scale of the killing set out.
• A working fishing cove - boats and restaurants above the beach.

When to go

Year round. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The museum keeps limited hours and can be closed midweek off season. The site is industrial ruin, not scenic. The road down to the cove is steep and parking is limited at weekends.

Nearby

Valparaiso is north; Algarrobo and Isla Negra are south.